Clarkson’s Farm

[RizzoTheRat]

There's definitely an element of deliberately cocking about for the camera, and he's got the financial backing to be able to try alternative ventures without significant consequences if it fails, but overall he seems to be doing a pretty good job of highlighting a lot of problems farmers face.

I'm a farmers son (but no longer working in farming) and it seems pretty realistic to me. My sister's an agronomist (think Charlie), and apparently her clients like it too.

[TikTak]

The truth is, like usual, somewhere in between.

Is he trying to get more seasons out of it? Probably. Did he start it to use the farm and have another revenue stream? Most likely. Does the farm need the other ventures to keep running? Yes to some degree. Does that mean he wouldn't market those to the nth degree independent of the farm? No, of course not.

If you think he's doing all of that for absolutely no reason but to have a couple seasons of a TV show or to flog some beer and have a tiny shop, you'd be wrong. However if you didn't think there were no other gains to be had and that they were considered at the beginning, you'd also be wrong.

It is massively entertaining and also brings up quite a few pertinent points in to a world many people don't know much about. These aren't mutually exclusive just because you don't like him and he has the resources to take a hit. Like with many things, most people just want the end product and have no idea how much work goes into giving them their thing, be that eggs, milk, gig ticket, phone app etc. and despite being some light entertainment it puts that very real struggle for farms, in pretty sharp focus.

[Evanivitch]

Tom8 said:

I disagree with most of this. You think he somehow controls the weather? I have been through all that he has gone through and it is genuine effort on his part to do the right thing (albeit with some silliness for entertainment). I've cocked up on ours many times, you learn every day. Have you ever had a go at keeping livestock or maintaining land? Have you ever done fencing? I suspect not based on your comments here but maybe give it a try and you may see whay he is genuine in his efforts.

Clarkson is literally surrounded by people that know what they're doing, and yet somehow he still has issues that couldlead to livestock harm. Why is that? The love of animals?

And yes, I've done graft.

[119]

Evanivitch said:

Clarkson is literally surrounded by people that know what they're doing, and yet somehow he still has issues that couldlead to livestock harm. Why is that? The love of animals?

And yes, I've done graft.

Livestock harm?

Not entirely sure that would happen, as he is much more exposed than a ‘normal’ farmer.

And, he has a lot of money invested in it so I am sure he is going to do what’s best to make it work.

At the end of the day, he is doing a lot more to expose the realities of farming more than country file or our Yorkshire farm that the guy from emmerdale has taken on with his wife imo.

Until I started watching it, I hadn’t the first clue about the complexities of it and how utterly sole destroying it could potentially be.

[Evanivitch]

119 said:

Livestock harm?

Both his sheep and cows have, allegedly, escaped their enclosures. Again, how much is it for the cameras (entirely staged "escape" or creatingthe conditions?)

119 said:

At the end of the day, he is doing a lot more to expose the realities of farming more than country file or our Yorkshire farm that the guy from emmerdale has taken on with his wife imo.
.

And for that he is to be commended.

[PinkHouse]

Evanivitch said:

119 said:

Livestock harm?

Both his sheep and cows have, allegedly, escaped their enclosures. Again, how much is it for the cameras (entirely staged "escape" or creatingthe conditions?)

And this is something that has never happened to any other farmers in the history of farming?

[Evanivitch]

PinkHouse said:

Evanivitch said:

119 said:

Livestock harm?

Both his sheep and cows have, allegedly, escaped their enclosures. Again, how much is it for the cameras (entirely staged "escape" or creatingthe conditions?)

And this is something that has never happened to any other farmers in the history of farming?

Yeah, usually when the cattle fencing and electric fence they've actually gone through the hassle of installing in the first place is damaged.

Failing to out those in place in the first place is irresponsible and negligent.

[119]

Evanivitch said:

PinkHouse said:

Evanivitch said:

119 said:

Livestock harm?

Both his sheep and cows have, allegedly, escaped their enclosures. Again, how much is it for the cameras (entirely staged "escape" or creatingthe conditions?)

And this is something that has never happened to any other farmers in the history of farming?

Yeah, usually when the cattle fencing and electric fence they've actually gone through the hassle of installing in the first place is damaged.

Failing to out those in place in the first place is irresponsible and negligent.

Not 'harm' though is it, and all livestock would be steered back into their fields, as farmers can ill afford to loose stock.

[Evanivitch]

119 said:

Not 'harm' though is it, and all livestock would be steered back into their fields, as farmers can ill afford to loose stock.

"Could lead" is what i said.

Clarkson has changed livestock strategy for the third (?) time now. I don't think he's bothered financially.

[PinkHouse]

Evanivitch said:

119 said:

Not 'harm' though is it, and all livestock would be steered back into their fields, as farmers can ill afford to loose stock.

"Could lead" is what i said.

Clarkson has changed livestock strategy for the third (?) time now. I don't think he's bothered financially.

Or it could also be interpreted as an informative (and effective) way to demonstrate the challenges involved with keeping different types of livestock

[Evanivitch]

PinkHouse said:

Or it could also be interpreted as an informative (and effective) way to demonstrate the challenges involved with keeping different types of livestock

Yeah it's great education for people that have never heard of a fence. I'm sure the entertainment £££ far outweighed the risk of harm to the livestock.

[119]

Evanivitch said:

PinkHouse said:

Or it could also be interpreted as an informative (and effective) way to demonstrate the challenges involved with keeping different types of livestock

Yeah it's great education for people that have never heard of a fence. I'm sure the entertainment £££ far outweighed the risk of harm to the livestock.

What industry is risk free?

[eccles]

Evanivitch said:

PinkHouse said:

Evanivitch said:

119 said:

Livestock harm?

Both his sheep and cows have, allegedly, escaped their enclosures. Again, how much is it for the cameras (entirely staged "escape" or creatingthe conditions?)

And this is something that has never happened to any other farmers in the history of farming?

Yeah, usually when the cattle fencing and electric fence they've actually gone through the hassle of installing in the first place is damaged.

Failing to out those in place in the first place is irresponsible and negligent.

Must be celeb thing then. Jimmys farm is just down the road from us and when he started his livestock escaped several times, but worse than Clarkson, the livestock ended up on very bust trunk roads.

Having said that I know farmers and where I grew up is all farming, my father in law is a retired farmer and stock escaping was just seen as part of the job. It's didn't happen regularly, but it happened, just the same as it happened to Clarkson.

[Evanivitch]

eccles said:

Must be celeb thing then. Jimmys farm is just down the road from us and when he started his livestock escaped several times, but worse than Clarkson, the livestock ended up on very bust trunk roads.

Having said that I know farmers and where I grew up is all farming, my father in law is a retired farmer and stock escaping was just seen as part of the job. It's didn't happen regularly, but it happened, just the same as it happened to Clarkson.

Jimmy's farm is a blast from the past!

Again, not denying stock do escape. But who puts stock in a field before the electric fence?

[The Gauge]

Evanivitch said:

eccles said:

Must be celeb thing then. Jimmys farm is just down the road from us

Jimmy's farm is a blast from the past!

I was quite fond of Dolly from the first series, no idea if he's still there?

[bolidemichael]

What’s a Dolly Head?

[Siko]

Several mates of mine are farmers and not your typical petrolhead clarkson fans, more the opposite tbh, they to a man love the show and what he is doing for farmers. My impression is he has invested a huge amount of money, blood, sweat and tears into the farm and is doing his best to make it work. Highlighting a few things for entertainment purposes through convoluted setups, as he did in TG etc, is just his way of making good tv.

[simon_harris]

Evanivitch said:

Yeah it's great education for people that have never heard of a fence. I'm sure the entertainment £££ far outweighed the risk of harm to the livestock.

It's okay I am sure the livestock never managed more than 20mph...

[Evanivitch]

simon_harris said:

It's okay I am sure the livestock never managed more than 20mph...

Rent free

[Evanivitch]

simon_harris said:

It's okay I am sure the livestock never managed more than 20mph...

Rent free